CHICAGO, ILLINOIS—President Obama has added Browns Canyon in central Colorado to the list of protected National Monuments. “Browns Canyon harbors a wealth of scientifically significant geological, ecological, riparian, cultural, and historic resources, and is an important area for studies of paleoecology, mineralogy, archaeology, and climate change,” the president said in a statement reported by The Environment News Service. Artifacts estimated to be more than 10,000 years old have been found in the Browns Canyon area. Eighteen archaeological sites have been found in the few areas that have been surveyed, including five prehistoric sites eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.